2008-02-05

I am a linguistic artist playing with food, not a food critic. I rarely read food reviews, and when I do, I inevitably come across painful phrases like "frisson of happiness" and "lyrical, joyous haunt of mango". It is just as well that Adour by Alain Ducasse did not inspire in me such poetry.

Perhaps it was awkward when the inexperienced eager-to-please server failed to pronounce geoduck as gooey-duck. Perhaps it was disappointing when I found the advertised geoduck layer to be too mysteriously thin, perhaps nonexistent, in the pretty hamachi dish.

But this is the exciting brand new New York restaurant which opened just last week. Instead of being jaded, why don't we just appreciate this relatively simple menu at Adour restaurant in the St. Regis space where Lespinasse used to be.

The highlight of the evening? Playing at the interactive wine bar. Sort of like playing iPhone on the bar table.